It’s never easy to say goodbye — especially now

Today is the point in the hockey season I’ve come to dread. It will be even harder than usual this year.

Early this afternoon the media who have covered the Albany River Rats will check in to write what we affectionately call a “season obit.” It’s time to put a bow on the season and look ahead.

Only there will be no looking ahead. Not with this group of players or coaches. They’re all leaving.

As the River Rats gather their belongings and have final meetings with the coaching staff, they will leave a place they’ve called home for anywhere from one to four years. They aren’t coming back.

Their new home is in Charlotte, N.C., where they’ll be called the Checkers, not the River Rats, and their only tie to the Capital Region will be the few times they return to play against the new Albany Devils. (Today is not the day to think about the Devils.)

The day after a team’s season ends is usually is bittersweet. The players and coaches are disappointed they aren’t playing longer, but they’re a little more open with us than they might be during the season. The handshakes and well-wishes are sincere, usually followed by, “I’ll see you in training camp.”

Most of these players will report to Raleigh in September for Carolina Hurricanes training camp. I likely will be in South Orange, N.J., where the New Jersey Devils get ready for their season.

Players we have watched grown into professional players — in particular the four players who were here at the beginning of Albany’s affiliation with the Carolina Hurricanes four seasons ago — will continue their careers, but we will watch that development from afar.

Sports writers are conditioned to keep their emotions separate from the players, teams and events they cover. Sure, we quietly root for them, but it’s mainly because our job is easier and more fulfilling writing about victories rather than trying to explain losses.

We cultivate professional relationships with the athletes and their mentors, and as your time with each grows, so do the bonds. We’re journalists, and it’s a job, but we’re human.

For mosf of the past four seasons we’ve watched goaltender Justin Peters, defenseman Tim Conboy and forwards Mike Angelidis and Nicolas Blanchard mature as people and players. There were several others who had to endure last season’s tragic bus crash, which reminded us that hockey is more than slap shots and rebounds. I’ve grown to like these guys and enjoy their company.

Coach Jeff Daniels has been so easy to work with over his two seasons. I’ve never encountered a coach who kept us waiting less time than Jeff. He usually was ready to talk 90 seconds after a game.

In fact, the entire Carolina Hurricanes organization is going to be missed. From the time I attended my first ‘Canes camp in Raleigh nearly four years ago. the Carolina folks were nothing but welcoming. From general manager Jim Rutherford and assistant GM Jason Karmanos to media contacts Mike Sundheim and Kyle Hanlin, they addressed every need and request.

As a group, hockey people are the best. The players are humble, appreciative of what they have, generous with their time. The new group of Devils who will occupy the home locker room at Times Union Center will be the same way, but it will take time to get to know them.

Today, it will be goodbye to these Hurricanes prospects. “See you at traning camp” will be replaced by “Maybe we’ll cross paths next season.”

29 Responses

I agree parting ways is not easy. It’s not something I was ready for either! My family went to many games and went to the picnic and on ice meet and greets. I felt comfortable talking to them when they were sitting out for whatever reason they weren’t playing that night. I have my favorites and my family has theirs. But we rooted for them as a team! We will miss them ALL.
The time they were here there was very minimal issues ALL the players pretty much conducted themselves professionally on and off the ice.
I will always follow them and be hardpressed to root for our home team when they come up here to play us in the future.
I wish them all the best in sucess on and off the ice.
ALBANY RIVER RATS!

Very well done. It is never easy to say goodbye. We did this in Glens Falls in 1999. It is amazing the nubmer of guys you will come across in the upcoming years. My wife and I got into the Islanders lockerroom a few years back because I mentioned GF to Chris Osgood and Mike Sillinger at a game. These players will never forget their experience in Albany and the people that supported them.

As sad as many are to see the Rats leave, just remember you still have the AHL next year. It is better than the UHL we originally got or even the years of no hockey we had.

Great article , Pete. Thanks for covering the team and bringing all of us, the readers and fans, a little closer to the players and the team.

They were and are a special group. We will miss them. During the Rats final ‘Canes years, there was something special- a bond of sorts building with these Rats and the fans. You can kind of felt like they were YOUR team. A part of Albany will always be a part of these Rats- they’ve been through a lot on the ice and off( the bus accident). They’ll never forget their years here and neither will we. Rats Forever!

I’ll miss the Rats – they were the team that introduced me to hockey 17 years ago. But, on the bright side, as a native of Albany, and a current resident of New Jersey, I won’t lie, this is a great affiliation as a fan. To be able to make a 2 hour drive to Albany and then to see those same players in Newark will be fun.

I spoke to a few of the players last night after the game and the comments I received were that as a whole the players loved playing here. They realized that there may not have been as many fans as would have been nice but the ones that showed up were absolutely the best and were very passionate and the players recognized it and embraced it. As a group of players these Rats were extremely cordial and friendly to the fans and will be missed. I will support the new Devils and hopefully they will embrace the fans as well.

This nothing new,we been thru this before. But as the oh so rigthfully emotional farewell to the Rats is just think about Lowell for a minute. They have no more AHL hockey, that team has been there for 13 seasons, that is pretty darn good. Not like the Quad City Flames 2 years and finished. If a team can last over 5 years in a city for a league like the AHL then that is very good, 10 plus pretty rare: The Lock Monsters/Devils almost 15.

We here in Albany have been very very fortunate to have the AHL come into the area in 1979 and have never left. Miss what you will but when the new team comes home make them feel that way.

Pete, great work covering the River Rats, espcecially this year. I honestly believe this was the best Rats team to play in Albany for many, many years and think we may be the 2nd best team in the AHL, but a distant second behind Hershey. I think it says alot, the emotions from fans after the game about this team. I don’t recall any such fondness when the Devils team left for Lowell a few years back!

Great job Pete very well done this season. Your coverage has really stepped it up, I used to be a big Daily Gazette supporter until they all but abandoned local pro sports coverage. You did one heck of a job on the River Rats hockey beat. These guys were great, and although I will miss the players and coaches from Carolina more so then the players from the Devils when they left, these players will be playing in a major league environment down in Charlotte, and in somehwhat nicer weather lol. The Checkers affiliated with the Hurricanes will be a huge draw, as these guys were averaging 5,000 or better in the ECHL, and from what I heard thats with many Saturday nights where the Charlotte Bobcats games being played. Charlotte should have one heck of a team next season, and they will be missed. Pete, thank you for the coverage this season, great job!

It’s nice for a Raleigh-based die-hard Canes fan like me to read that the organization was as well-regarded in Albany as it is here. This is a special team and I’m sorry that the fans that supported them in the Capital Region will have to follow them from afar.

@rkb thats prolly because they left abruptly and left in distasteful manner in doing so. we were fortunate enough to have a team that needed us and we needed them in the carolina hurricanes when they came in. at first the reception was lukewarm because i dont think anyone knew much about them but as the first season went on they became a part of our hearts because they reached out to the fans. the hurricane organazation is first class. they treat there fans every where with dignity, respect and honor. its not about the money when it comes to them. they want to win but also be in the hearts of wherever they are playing either in florida,lowell, albany and starting next year in charlotte and even in there parent clubs home i kind of wish the carolina hurricanes were base in ny. so much better it would be for us all. us fans are so used to stuffy suit wearing teams like the rangers,sabres islanders and the devils we got spoilded through the last 4 years with the hurricanes. they are a part of the reasonw e even have a hockey team coming back here they pushed the ahl behind the scenes in having a team come back. if it didnt happen this year it would next year.

Here’s my take and memories on the last 17 years of Albany River Rats hockey. I’ll post a link to it as not to take up all the space on this blog out of consideration for others. It’s a little lengthy, writing about 17 years worth of memories with this team will do that. But it’s well worth it, you’ll probably find yourself saying oh wow I do remember that or I almost forgot about that. I spent a considerable amount of time on it, so hopefully it will conjure up some good memories for fans of the team. Enjoy: http://crashthecrease.blogspot.com/2010/04/albany-river-rats-1993-2010.html

Just thought I’d throw this info out there. No reason to say goodbye to the River Rats if you’ve got EA Sports NHL 08. For any Rats fans out there who are not aware, the Rats are included in the EA Sports NHL 08 game as are all the other AHL teams. I’ve been playing as the Rats this season and we’ve got a Hershey-like record of 56-8-1! I’d been using Leighton in net at the beginning of the year and then I got a message from Justin Peters saying that he wanted to be traded if I didn’t start giving him some ice time! Fun game!

Nicely done, Pete. And thanks for a great year of hockey coverage – thanks especially for this blog. Even though none of our local teams (college or pro) will likely ever break attendance records, this is a great area for hockey and it’s nice to have a blog like this to cover it all.

Thanks, Marco, and all others who have commented positively about the blog. We believe there is a strong base of hockey fans in the Capital Region, although they are somewhat fragmented between the college and pro teams, and we’ll do our best to serve them.

We here in Charlotte look forward to welcoming our new team…the Charlotte Checkers. The arena (Time Warner) you will play in is second to none. And the practice facility Extreme Ice Center built just a few years ago..the same. I have been to a few practice facilities like the one the Colorado Avalanche use, OURS IS BETTER! The city is big time, restaurants, clubs, convention center, it will blow the players minds compared to Albany. Sorry guys…it’s just the facts. We support hockey here. Our former ECHL teams at times saw fan packed games, sometimes, heck most of times out selling the Bobcats. yea..that ain’t saying much. Get ready players…..PREPARE TO SIT IN FIRST CLASS!!!